Vulnerable people in Belfast are being forced to make a choice between food, heating or electricity as the cost of living crisis worsens.
Rachel Kelly, a support worker for Belfast Central Mission who help and support hundreds of people across Northern Ireland every week, has spoken to Belfast Live about the problems facing her service users and how they have struggled through the pandemic only to find themselves with even more problems.
Rachel provides support to around 22 vulnerable people over the age of 55 in the Belfast area who are finding it harder and harder to get by every week as the rising cost of living means that their money just does not stretch far enough.
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She says that many people are being forced to make sacrifices with regards to heating, electricity and food, because choosing to spend money on one thing will mean that they are unable to afford another.
Rachel said: "The most vulnerable in Belfast found the Covid pandemic to be a very difficult and challenging time and now with the rising costs that they are facing it is like they have gone from one terrible situation into another.
"There are people who are having to make the tough choice of choosing whether or not to keep their home warm, have food in the cupboard or their lights on. They are in very desperate situations where their money just does not stretch far enough.
"People are just not able to afford the basics that they need and have no prospect of enjoying something that many people take for granted such as going to see a movie in the cinema or even going out for a coffee.
"We are finding that some people are potentially having to go days without any money who are in dire need of additional support and if it wasn't for the good work of of the local charities that we liaise with such as The People's Kitchen food bank and the Church of God I don't know how some people would be able to get by."
One of Rachel's service users, Peter, has been out of work following a serious and traumatic injury and has been relying on Universal Credit payments.
However in recent months he has found that the payments that could get him by are not stretching far enough and he has had to reach out for emergency support when he was facing seven days without any money and no food, heating or electricity.
Peter said: "Once I received my Universal Credit payment and paid off the various bills that I had I found myself without anything for food and heating. I was facing seven days without anything if it wasn't for the support that I received from BCM."
Rachel said: "When Peter contacted me for help we were able to provide him with some funds from our emergency hardship fund in order to top up his heating and electricity. I also got in contact with the People's Kitchen and the Church of God who were able to provide him with food hampers within 24 hours and I do not know what he would have done if they were not available."
Rachel highlighted that many of those she supports have found difficulty accessing the correct benefits and funding that is available to them and a lot of her work centres around making sure they are getting everything they are entitled to.
Others have been lacking the necessary support for years after "falling through the net" due to a variety of different reasons, although mental health issues are the most prominent.
She hopes that the summer months will provide some relief for people as their heating bills will not be as high, but fears they will be faced with the same issues in the winter again when energy costs are expected to rise once again.
Rachel said: "We are likely to see more and more people needing help as the year goes on and we at the Belfast Central Mission, alongside the other amazing charities we work with, will continue to do what we can to aid those who have found themselves struggling and need emergency support."
If you would like more information about Belfast Central Mission please visit its website.
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